DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
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DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1958, is located along the banks of the Missouri River
in the U.S. state
s of Iowa
and Nebraska
. The 8,362-acre (33.83 km2) refuge (46% in Iowa, 54% in Nebraska) preserves an area that would had been otherwise lost to cultivation. In 1960, an Army Corps of Engineers channelization project on the Missouri River moved the main river channel in the area to the west. The former river channel became DeSoto Lake, a seven-mile long oxbow lake
. As a result, part of the Nebraska portion of the refuge lies on the east side of the Missouri River.
Today, the refuge is home to around 30 mammal
species, including white-tailed deer
, beaver
s, opossums, raccoon
s, fox squirrel
s, muskrat
s and coyote
s. Many bird species also inhabit the refuge, such as bald eagle
s, great blue heron
s, egret
s, pelican
s, turkey
s and cardinal
s. The refuge is also a major stopover on the Central Flyway
bird migration
route; the population of migratory birds increases substantially in the spring
and fall months. The numbers of snow-geese used to frequently be in the hundreds of thousands, but for unknown reasons has substantially dropped for only a few thousand a year (not at once). The population of Canadian geese that stopped at the lake before it was channelized is once again rising.
Several miles of nature trail
s provide access to the varied landscapes of the refuge. Hunting
is allowed in season (for deer, turkey, and pheasant
) with a permit and there are several fishing piers along the lake, which are open outside of the bird migration seasons. No pets are allowed in the refuge.
The refuge also documents the area's human history. In 1865, the sternwheel Steamboat Bertrand
, bound for Montana Territory
, sank in the Missouri River. The boat and its cargo rested on the river bottom until 1968, when the wreck was rediscovered. Over 500,000 items were excavated from the wreck; many in excellent condition. Catalogue numbers are now in the upper 5000's, each number sometimes only having one related object, or in the case of nails, tens of thousands. A visitor's center in the refuge displays many of these items. The Bertrand site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located 5 miles (8 km) east of Blair, Nebraska
. Access to the refuge is on U.S. Route 30
between Blair and Interstate 29
.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1958, is located along the banks of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The 8,362-acre (33.83 km2) refuge (46% in Iowa, 54% in Nebraska) preserves an area that would had been otherwise lost to cultivation. In 1960, an Army Corps of Engineers channelization project on the Missouri River moved the main river channel in the area to the west. The former river channel became DeSoto Lake, a seven-mile long oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
. As a result, part of the Nebraska portion of the refuge lies on the east side of the Missouri River.
Today, the refuge is home to around 30 mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
species, including white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s, opossums, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, fox squirrel
Fox Squirrel
The fox squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America...
s, muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s. Many bird species also inhabit the refuge, such as bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s, egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s, turkey
Turkey (bird)
A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
s and cardinal
Cardinal (bird)
The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a family of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae ....
s. The refuge is also a major stopover on the Central Flyway
Central Flyway
The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in the Platte River and...
bird migration
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
route; the population of migratory birds increases substantially in the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
and fall months. The numbers of snow-geese used to frequently be in the hundreds of thousands, but for unknown reasons has substantially dropped for only a few thousand a year (not at once). The population of Canadian geese that stopped at the lake before it was channelized is once again rising.
Several miles of nature trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s provide access to the varied landscapes of the refuge. Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
is allowed in season (for deer, turkey, and pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
) with a permit and there are several fishing piers along the lake, which are open outside of the bird migration seasons. No pets are allowed in the refuge.
The refuge also documents the area's human history. In 1865, the sternwheel Steamboat Bertrand
Steamboat Bertrand
The Steamboat Bertrand was owned by the J.J. Roe and Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Loaded with cargo heading for remote Virginia City, Montana Territory, the steamboat sank on April 1, 1865, after hitting a log in the Missouri River north of Omaha, Nebraska. Half of its cargo was recovered 100...
, bound for Montana Territory
Montana Territory
The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 28, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana.-History:...
, sank in the Missouri River. The boat and its cargo rested on the river bottom until 1968, when the wreck was rediscovered. Over 500,000 items were excavated from the wreck; many in excellent condition. Catalogue numbers are now in the upper 5000's, each number sometimes only having one related object, or in the case of nails, tens of thousands. A visitor's center in the refuge displays many of these items. The Bertrand site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located 5 miles (8 km) east of Blair, Nebraska
Blair, Nebraska
Blair is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,990 at the 2000 census. Blair is a part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. Access to the refuge is on U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 is an east–west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. It is the third longest U.S. route, after U.S. Route 20 and U.S. Route 6. The western end of the highway is at Astoria, Oregon; the...
between Blair and Interstate 29
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with Interstate 35 and Interstate 70 to the Canadian border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba Highway 75 via the short Manitoba Highway 29.-Route...
.
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See also
- Boyer Chute National Wildlife RefugeBoyer Chute National Wildlife RefugeBoyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1996, is located along the banks of the Missouri River in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The 3,350-acre refuge preserves an area that had been cultivated and neglected before the early 1990s...
- Fort Atkinson State Historic ParkFort Atkinson (Nebraska)Fort Atkinson was the first United States Army post to be established west of the Missouri River in the unorganized region of the Louisiana Purchase of the United States. Located just east of present-day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, the fort was erected in 1819 and abandoned in 1827...